An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, such as an air bag, is deployed upon the occurrence of a vehicle collision. The air bag is part of a conventional vehicle occupant protection apparatus that includes a collision sensor and an inflator. The inflator includes a housing and an inflation fluid source in the housing. Upon sensing the occurrence of an event for which inflation of the air bag is desired, the inflator is actuated and emits inflation fluid under pressure in the inflator housing. The pressurized inflation fluid is directed out of the inflator housing and inflates the air bag into the vehicle occupant compartment to help protect the vehicle occupants.
Inflators can generate heat and particulates during deployment. Conventional methods of controlling these products include adding fabric to the air bag, coating the air bag fabric, providing filter screens, adding metal protection plates around the air bag, or a combination of these methods.